Home › forums

Tiger killed at Lowry Park Zoo

Wed, 2006-08-23 09:31 — Times Staff

The president of Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa shot a Sumatran tiger, Enshalla, after she slipped out of her concrete bedroom and into the empty Asian Domain exhibit Tuesday night. The zoo staff herded the last handful of visitors into the zoo's restaurants or sent them home. Please let us know if you were one of those visitors and what you witnessed. You can post comments here or contact reporter Abbie VanSickle at 813-226-3373 or e-mail her at avansickle@sptimes.com.

Read more about the killing in the St. Petersburg Times story.

Do you have any photos of Enshala from previous visits to the zoo? Please share them with us by e-mailing the JPEG to
photos@tampabay.com.

Your subject line becomes the title of the photo and the body of your message becomes the caption.

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Sat, 2006-08-26 14:11 — Pickin Bones

Wild West Lex and his murderous ways with animals

Lex Salisbury is an incompetent, arrogant ass. He could have used a second tranquilizer, but used a rifle instead. He could have confined the tiger to an area until the tranqs worked. He could have kept people locked inside, out of danger, until the tiger dropped from the first and perhaps a second, tranquilizer. The vet could have moved out of the danger area after he fired the tranq, he could have fired from a safe location. None of these things were even considered.

Salisbury has NEVER had the zoo animals best interests at heart. The only interest has ALWAYS BEEN MONEY. Look at the type of fundraisers they hold at the zoo at all hours of day and night. Beer, food & partys abound. The Tampa elite think they are so cool to party at the zoo at night and they are so philanthropic! Why else would the zoo have a budget in the multi-millions of dollars and this twisted killer make a quarter million of dollars each year?

Recently, Herman the chimp was killed by another chimp, but no one could get there fast enough to save him. Several wallabies died in an UNAIRCONDITIONED truck while being transported to Tampa for a new exhibit! Several elephants were ripped out of their home in Swaziland, even though there were reserves there that would have taken them in, so that Lowry and San Diego could keep the money flowing with fresh animals.

Animals DO NOT belong in zoos and circuses. There is NOTHING to do with zoos that is about conservation. It is GREED, pure and simple. Years ago, Lowry sold an elephant they no longer had use for, to the Ringling Brothers Circus. Gee, that was just so kind of the zoo!

To all you ignorant airheads who think the zoo is great for the city, you are probably the jerks who put Bush in the White House. You don't consider anything outside of your own wants and selfish pleasures, no matter how bad it may be for others. Your kind makes me sick to MY stomach.

Close this damn zoo, fire Lex Salisbury and send him packing to his 50 acres in Dade City. Send the animals to protective sanctuaries where there are people who will treat them with dignity and respect. Let these animals live the rest of their lives cage-free. Freedom, it's a powerful thing. We are trying to force it on the people in the Middle East, who don't want it, while denying it to animals, who are usually born with it. Humans are supposed to be the intelligent ones. God must be crying.

Sat, 2008-12-20 22:31 — Pickin Bones

If Only The Media Had Listened

In 2006 I was leaving comments on various media boards that something stunk about Lex Salisbury and his tyrannical rule at the Zoo.  To have investigated undercover, as I suggested to some television stations, would have given the media outlet a sizzling story.  How many animals had to suffer these last 2 years because the media ignored the story that I told them was RIGHT UNDER THEIR NOSES.

Bless those little patas monkeys for escaping and exposing Salisbury's real character and operation.  When employees would ask questions about animals being improperly cared for, the employee was fired.  The total emphasis of this operation is on MONEY.  This entire story boils down to GREED.  The tyrant ruled his little kingdom and the stupid media looked the other way.  There are many ex-employees out there who have stories to tell.  They are called "disgruntled former employees" by Lex and just like that, those people are deemed unreliable.

 Just like the Wall Street swindler, Madoff, conned the investment community on a global scale,  Salisbury conned the local elite on his tiny kingdom.  A con is a con, no matter how big or low the stakes.   Now let's see some prison time for these crimes. 

 

Sun, 2006-08-27 13:37 — shredds

Wild wild lex' animals

Not only the elephants but the white rhino's as well have been imported from Swaziland and they were only 2-3 years old also the meerkats were imported too from Swaziland. What is there a overpopulation on meerkats and they are supposedly "culled" too? The deal the king of Swaziland has with the San Diego Zoo and Lowry Park is sweet huh? Being able to send any of the animals on his land for exchange of the original money purchased for the elephants and a $10,000 a year deal that is taken out of the Conservation account the zoo has that is suppose to help REAL conservation efforts not a tyrant king who traffics animals. Does anyone remember the monkeys the zoo bought on the black market in Africa? What's going on??????

Sat, 2006-10-07 08:02 — laran

Shredds = Confused

Dont you think that the king of swaziland should take some responsability for this then? since he has a "pretty sweet deal" w/ lowry park, as you put it, doesnt that mean that HE is exporting his animals for money, therefore he is ultimatly at fault? You go on to call him a "tyrant king" and yet you continue to blame lowry park. Go reread what you wrote, and you'll see that you actually pointed out the kings faults, and are blaming the king subtly, however you didnt come out and say it. i beleive that the king is at fault, if you say that lowry park is at fault. however, i dont think lowry park did anything wrong, i mean come on, they saved a life didnt they?
laran
age 15

Fri, 2006-08-25 19:20 — DK1989

Only Human

Please remember to error is to be human. He forgot to lock the cage and the tiger got out. They tranquilized it and it didn't stop enough. With only the 7 foot wall between them and others plus the life of the veterinarian. They tried to do it humane and that didn't work. I agree it was his fault for forgetting to lock it but he acted properly when it came down to it.

If you had the life of a tiger or the life of multiple people what would you do?

Sat, 2006-10-07 08:04 — laran

Finally, some sense.

I have to say that you are the first comment ive read on here that makes any sense. The fact that it was a tigers life vs. a humans came into play greatly. While they DID try to sedate the animal, they couldnt and had to shoot it. i mean, come on people, what would you want if YOU were the vet having a huge tiger coming at you?
laran
age 15

Fri, 2006-08-25 12:17 — tigertelegraph

Tiger murdered at Lowry Park Zoo

If you feel strongly that Enshala was needlessly shot to death by Lex Salisbury the Zoo's CEO then please sign my online petition at www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/359988560
We feel strongly that Zoo's should not punish their big cats for mistakes made by their keepers!

Sat, 2006-10-07 14:21 — laran

Opinion

Please explain to me why you think she was "needlessly" shot? id like to hear you're view on it.

Fri, 2006-08-25 15:34 — jwb1066

Right on!

Better to let the big cats eat the keepers.

I mean after all, who knows better how to respond in this situation. A man with decades of experience handling animals, who then finds himself in the terrible position of having to make a split second decision to destroy an animal or sacrifice a human - or you? The quintessential armchair quarterback.

Let's find out.

What is the common tranquilizer (note you spelled this wrong in your petition, might want to fix that - not trying to be the grammar police, just pointing out the typo) used in American zoos?

What is the standard volume to weight ratio used to determine the appropriate dose?

How much time is required between injection and the point the animal may be safely handled?

Once you look up the answer to that last question you will know why such an animal, reacting aggressively in the presence of humans, would have to be put down.

It was a terrible tragedy to be sure, but in your emotional zeal you have targeted the wrong guy. You would know that if you took a little time to learn more about animal management/keeping and general safety procedures than what you've read in the Times.

Now, you want to set up a petition insisting the idiot keeper who doesn't know how to secure a gate should go to jail - I'll sign it.

Fri, 2006-08-25 17:15 — tigertelegraph

Does Lex really have decades

Does Lex really have decades of experience looking after tigers? I must have missed that one.

Mon, 2006-10-02 13:40 — jwb1066

You didn't answer the questions

So I presume you do not know.

Lex however does - which makes his judgement more qualified than yours.